Gossard’s Ego takes flight

Gossard reached new heights, this week, as the brand launched its bespoke racing hot air balloon, adorned with 40ft figures of Elle Liberachi, modelling the Egoboost bra.

The creation, dubbed by its maker the ‘Formula 1 of hot air balloons,’ was inflated on June 20, at the Gossard HQ in Nottingham.

The state of the art racing balloon, registration G-SSRD, will now embark on a schedule of international events and ballooning festivals throughout the summer, visiting countries including Italy, USA, Poland and France.

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The unique craft is one of only a handful of extreme racing balloons in Europe. It stands at a 90 ft tall and measures 60,000 cubic ft, with half an acre of material used in its development.

Designed and crafted in the Czech Republic, the balloon is much thinner than a regular hot air balloon, allowing it to climb and descend four times faster.

Andrew Holly, managing director of Exclusive Ballooning, is the man behind the balloon, and will pilot the two-person vessel as part of Team Gossard.

He said: “We’ve worked on many balloons and believe this is truly a stand-out creation. It’s not just any balloon, it is a racing balloon specially developed for speed and performance – it’s the Formula 1 of balloons.

“With its aerodynamic design, the Gossard balloon will be able to travel at 2,000 ft per minute, which is a frighteningly-quick 25 miles per hour.”
The craft is made from polyester, combined with a base of nomex®, a costly fireproof fabric used in race driver suits.

An innovative manufacturing process took four months to bring the balloon to life, with the Gossard images printed directly onto panels of material, which were sewn together by skilled seamstresses.

Team Gossard will compete in important balloon races across the world, including the British National championships, The Coupe D’Europe, the World Championships held in the USA in August, and will also attend balloon fiestas across Europe.

Holly claimed that an innovative design, combined with skill, is the secret to success on the balloon racing circuit.

He said: “On a good day, the top pilots will be separated by just centimetres from the centre of the target, but if the winds change…effectively, competing with a balloon is like three dimensional sailing.”

Gossard managing director Tony Jarvis added: “Gossard has a tradition in taking cleavage to new heights, so it’s fitting to depict Elle Liberachi in the Egoboost bra. As well as being a best-seller, the Egoboost is loved by our customers for giving amazing up-lift.

“We’re delighted to have created something stunning to look at – and we hope it will have as much impact on the balloon racing circuit, as it has on the eye.”